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Commonwealth of Sainte Genevieve
|+'Commonwealth of Sainte Genevieve' |- |'Official Language' || English |- |'Other Languages' || French (spoken by less than 1% of population) |- |'Capital' || Elizabethtown |- |'Largest City' || Gallitep |- |'Government' || Republic, Presidential System |- |'President' || Regan Shaw (since 1999) |- |'Area' || 159 sq. mi. |- |'Population' || 62,221 (2000 Census) 65,063 (2005 Estimate) |- |'Independence' || 1st January 1903, from Great Britain |- |'Currency' || Genevieve Pound (GEN£) |- |'National Motto' || "Per Ardua ad Astra" (Through Effort to the Stars) |} The Commonwealth of Sainte Genevieve is an island nation in the North Atlantic Ocean, about half-way between the northern coast of Scotland and the Faeroe Islands. Its current president is Regan Sara-Anne Shaw, and its population in 2000 was 62,221. Its coordinates are 60.05277778, -7.12527778 History Early Settlement (1632-1691) St. Genevieve’s recorded history begins in 1632. On 12th April, a group of 39 men, 34 women and 5 children set out to reach the island from England. Under the command of Captain Sebastian Newcomb, the small cargo ship–christened the Patience–reached the southern shores of the island on 30th April, and established a small seaside settlement called Catherine Town, named after Newcomb’s wife, who had died of a fever on the journey. Newcomb sent the Patience back to England with a crew of 11 men and 2 women, to send word to King Charles I of their successful arrival on the island. Within the next year, the Patience carried four more groups of settlers to the island, and the population grew to nearly 200. The 1630s and 1640s were a time of great prosperity for the islanders. On 30th April 1637, the fifth anniversary of the first arrival, Captain Newcomb ordered the Patience to be retired, and the wood from the ship was used to further build up the growing settlement of Catherine Town. It was also on this date that the island was officially given a name: King Charles Island. After the first year, the number of islanders continued to grow, albeit slowly, for the next decade. Once the Patience was demolished, and reliable transportation to and from England was no longer a likelihood, many of the newcomers to King Charles Island were Scots. The English and Scots were not without their differences, but quickly learned to coexist peacefully on the island. After King Charles I’s execution in 1649, the islanders quickly stopped using the official name, preferring to call it simply, “The Island.” The establishment of the Cromwellian government in England also ceased virtually all new English and Scottish settlers to the Island, and the population began a slow decline. The Island quickly rebounded, however, once the monarchy was restored in 1660. During the second half of the Seventeenth Century, the islanders outgrew the original settlement of Catherine Town. Several small groups began branching out, settling new towns along the eastern and western shores, as well as the interior of the Island. Captain Sebastian Newcomb died on 1st May 1662, one day after the 30th anniversary of his arrival. On 22nd October 1688, John Mahy, the last surviving member of the original 1632 landing party, died at age 67. By the late 1680s, the Island had grown to include 5 settlements–Catherine Town, Corway (est. 1648), Kes (1655), Hartchester (1663) and Elizabethtown (1670)–and a population nearing 600. The harsh winter of 1690/1691, however, left behind devastation that virtually destroyed the Island. Crop failures that summer had led to a lean harvest in the fall. The early onset of winter cost many islanders their lives (over three-fourths of the population died), and most of those that survived returned to the mainland. By July 1691, only 38 people remained, clustered in a group of shacks and tents in the Catherine Town and Elizabethtown settlements. The Independent Years (1691-1710) French Rule (1710-1797) With most of the British gone, the French landed, and reclaimed the Island for themselves. French rule ended in 1797, when the British were given control of the Island again. It was during this century of French dominance, however, when the Island was given its name: Sainte Genevieve. Second British Rule (1797-1903) On New Years' Day 1903, Great Britain relinquished control of the Island, and the Commonwealth of Sainte Genevieve was born. Early Commonwealth (1903-1920) Growth and Prosperity (1920-2000) Sainte Genevieve in the 21st Century Geography The Commonwealth covers 159 square miles of land. Demographics In the Census of 2000, there were 62,221 people living in the Commonwealth, a modest increase over the 1990 figure of 58,508. 98.8% of residents native-born citizens of the Island. Politics Executive Powers The executive power of the Commonwealth is vested in the President, directly elected by the people to a four-year term. The current President is Regan Shaw, elected in 1999 and again in 2003. Legislative Powers The legislative power of the Commonwealth is vested in the Commonwealth Congress, a bicameral legislature consisting of the 27-member Senate (Upper House), with 3 Senators alloted each province; and the 81-member Representative Assembly (Lower House), with Representatives alloted by population. Judicial Powers The judicial power of the Commonwealth is vested in the Supreme Commonwealth Court. The seven-member court is charged with interpreting the laws enacted by the Commonwealth Congress. Smaller, federal courts are directly under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, and other provincial courts are responsible to their respective provinces. Subnational Entities Provinces There are nine provinces in Sainte Genevieve. * Capital Province ** Established in 1979 from a portion of Gaines West ** 2000 Population: 3,733 ** 2005 Estimate: 3,994 ** Cities: Elizabethtown ** Named for the status of Elizabethtown as Sainte Genevieve's Capital City * Gaines East ** Established in 1903 ** 2000 Population: 8,089 ** 2005 Estimate: 8,267 ** Cities: Carrolltown, Castleton, Corway (capital), Wells ** Names for Alexander J. Gaines, an early Genevievan philanthropist * Gaines West ** Established in 1903 ** 2000 Population: 4,355 ** 2005 Estimate: 4,956 ** Cities: Kellin, Kes (capital), Stratford ** Named for Alexander J. Gaines, an early Genevievan philanthropist * Glasgow ** Established in 1903 ** 2000 Population: 6,222 ** 2005 Estimate: 6,906 ** Cities: Edinburgh, Hartchester (capital), New Birmingham, West Hartchester ** Named after the city in Scotland * Haverstaff ** Established in 1903 ** 2000 Population: 5,600 ** 2005 Estimate: 5,719 ** Cities: Leeds, Vona (capital) ** Named after Rosalie M. Haver, the first woman elected to the Genevievan Parliament * New Sweden ** Established in 1903 ** 2000 Population: 11,200 ** 2005 Estimate: 11,297 ** Cities: Colleentown, Elemspur (capital), Glassner ** Named for the country in northern Europe * Outland ** Established in 1955 from a portion of Queens Landing ** 2000 Population: 1,867 ** 2005 Estimate: 2,035 ** Cities: Adamstown, Newpointe (capital) ** Named for its colloquial name during the island's early history, often referred to as "the Out Land" * Queens Landing ** Established in 1903 ** 2000 Population: 18,044 ** 2005 Estimate: 18,405 ** Cities: Bergen, Gallitep (capital), New Copenhagen, Phillipstown, Relliketh, Victoria ** Named in honor of Queen Anne, in anticipation of a visit that never took place * Rekentha ** Established in 2004 from a part of Haverstaff ** 2000 Population: 3,111 ** 2005 Estimate: 3,484 ** Cities: Derna (capital), Harborton ** Named for the Rekentha, a species of flower that grows in the area Military The Sainte Genevieve Unified Armed Forces (SGUAF) is the military body of the Commonwealth. There are approximately 600 members in the armed forces, which include an army corps and a navy corps. Membership is voluntary, and is restricted to men and women who have reached age 20. Economy Tourism makes up a large part of Sainte Genevieve's economy. Outside the cities, agriculture is a staple, as it has been for nearly 400 years. Education Elementary and Secondary Education Elementary and secondary education in Sainte Genevieve is the responsibility of the individual provinces, and varies slightly in each. In the northern provinces (Capital Province, Gaines East, Gaines West, Outland and Queens Landing), students must begin school by September 1st in the year of their fifth birthday, and complete 13 years of compulsory education. In the southern provinces (Glasgow, Haverstaff, New Sweden and Rekentha), students begin school by September 1st in the year of their sixth birthday, and complete 12 years of compuslory education. Although children in the southern provinces are not required to complete a year of kindergarten, the vast majority of them do, and the policy in the northern provinces in becoming standard throughout the country. A few private schools also operate in Sainte Genevieve, most of them run by the Roman Catholic Church. Higher Education For a country with just 62,000 residents, Sainte Genevieve has several choices for students seeking higher education. * The Sainte Genevieve University College System (often referred to as the "U.C.") is the national university of Sainte Genevieve. With its headquarters in Elizabethtown, the U.C. system has branch campuses in Corway, Kes and Hartchester; as well as smaller, "satellite" campuses in Vona and Derna. These campuses are often referred to as "U.C.-Corway," "U.C.-Kes," etc. * The Jesuit University of Sainte Genevieve is completely run by the Society of Jesus, and is located in Gallitep. "Jesuit U" also offers many distance-learning programs available to students in other parts of the country. Jesuit U is one of two private colleges in Sainte Genevieve. * Elemspur College is a public, four-year community college that offers mostly technical and trade degrees, but has greatly increased its offerings in the past decade, mostly due to the administration's desire to attain university status. * The University of Gallitep is the oldest university in Sainte Genevieve. Established in 1805, "U of G" is a private college affiliated with the Anglican Church of Sainte Genevieve. U of G has more undergradaute students than any other school in the country. The abundance of high-quality education has attracted students from all across the world to study in Sainte Genevieve, and it is no longer uncommon to see a college campus with Australian, Irish, Portuguese, Italian or Russian students. Religion According to the 2000 Census: * Roman Catholicism :: 40.4% * Mainline Christianity :: 14.4% * Judaism :: 8.5% * Christianity-No Denomination :: 7.7% * Baptist Convention :: 7.4% * Charismatic Christianity :: 2.8% * Islam :: 1.9% * Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism :: 1.7% * Protestant Christianity-Other :: 1.6% * Other / New Religions :: 1.0% * Mormon Church :: 0.2% * No Religion :: 12.4% In 1997, the Supreme Commonwealth Court determined that, for statistical purposes, the Mormon Church was not a Christian religion, and as such has been listed as a separate religious faith since the 2000 Census. Culture National Holidays The following dates are recognized as official holidays by the Commonwealth Congress. Miscellaneous Facts Distances from Sainte Genevieve to various major cities: * Glasgow, Scotland: 310 miles * Dublin, Ireland: 470 miles * Reykjavik, Iceland: 560 miles * Oslo, Norway: 610 miles * London, England: 650 miles * Paris, France: 860 miles * New York, United States: 3,080 miles * Toronto, Canada: 3,110 miles * Los Angeles, United States: 4,870 miles * Tokyo, Japan: 5,570 miles * Cape Town, South Africa: 6,630 miles * Sydney, Australia: 10,370 miles